*[http://www.geocities.com/rev_alexander2000/ Rum Orthodox Ivri: The Website of the Eastern Orthodox Christian Community within Israeli Society], served by Fr. Alexander Winogradsky, a priest of Jewish ethnicity serving mainly in Hebrew

*[http://www.geocities.com/rev_alexander2000/ Rum Orthodox Ivri: The Website of the Eastern Orthodox Christian Community within Israeli Society], served by Fr. Alexander Winogradsky, a priest of Jewish ethnicity serving mainly in Hebrew

The Church of Jerusalem is the "Mother of all Churches" of all of Christendom, because it was in Jerusalem that the Church was established on the day of Pentecost with the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples of Jesus Christ. From Jerusalem the gospel of Christ was spread to the world.

As Christianity spread, and the persecutions of the Jews by Roman authorities in their homeland increased, causing the dispersion of many of the Christians from Jerusalem, the import of this church and its impact on the ongoing life of the whole Church diminished. As other churches gained ascendency, namely the Churches of Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, and Antioch, the Church of Jerusalem was accorded a place of honor with them among the five original Christian patriarchates of the Christian world, called the Pentarchy.

Lately there has been criticism of the church leadership by Palestinian faithful, who accuse the Greek-speaking and largely Greek-born leadership of squandering their money and treating their Arabic-speaking members as second-class faithful.

The Holy Monastery of St. Sion, also the Patriarchal Theological college

The Holy Monastery of St. Stephen

The Holy Monastery of St. Panteleimon

The Holy Monastery of the Resurrection

The Holy Monastery of St. Modestos

The Holy Monastery of the Great Panagia (female)

The Holy Monastery of St. Euthymios (female)

The Holy Monastery of Panagia "Seidanagias"

There are two churches in Jerusalem, the Church of St. Demetrios and the Church of St. Thekla. There is also the cathedral church of St. James the Brother of the Lord, which also has two chapels dedicated to the Myrrh-bearers and the Forty Holy Martyrs of Jerusalem. The chapel of the Forty Holy Martyrs holds the relics of all the patriarchs of Jerusalem.

Saints and Elders

The Holy Land has been primarily sanctified by the presence of Christ, however, through his divine economy, the Holy Land has also generated a cloud of Martyrs, Hierarchs and Saints. Some of these include: